Come Find Yourself
Fun Lovin' Criminals
1996
Album Summary
Come Find Yourself is the debut studio album by the American band Fun Lovin' Criminals. It was released on February 20, 1996 by Chrysalis Records.
WikipediaI bet teenaged me would’ve liked this. And she would have been wrong. Ugh.
Hard to imagine why Huey Morgan thought this bonged-out drudgery could be called fun lovin. Criminal, sure. They do their best to nestle awkwardly in an honourable tradition of stealing freely from their forebears; in this case the Beasties, Tarantino (I guess) and (don't ask me why anyone would want to do this) Red Hot Chilli Peppers. But in the same way that buying a Barcelona shirt with Messi on the back doesn't mean your first touch no longer stinks, Cosplaying as your favourite bands doesn't mean your music is any good. It really, really, really isn't.
I had a mate just after high school that used to play this - I'd forgotten it existed. I remember the title track but nothing else. Ok, I like that it's rap with an actual band behind it, much more interesting than what a lot of others were doing at the time. This was kinda right on that turning point as heaps of rap started just using real simple basslines as music, kinda throwing out all the cool samples and turntable stuff that made it cool a few years earlier. The band is good, they mix a whole heap of different genres but keep it funky and it always seems to work. ...except for the rap rock parts lol. That sorta thing hasn't aged well imo, was never going to. Or maybe that's just the shadow of cringey memories looming over me lol. But it's only in maybe 1-2 tracks and used pretty sparsely anyway. I also didn't realise that Scooby snacks was them - not sure how that escaped me, heard that song many times, it has that 90s swagger that I kinda miss, not in a nostalgic way but rather that I'm kinda sad people aren't doing it anymore. Naturally, being the mid-late 90s all the songs are about smoking weed... that's just how it was at the time. Except for the song about meth I guess lol. Seems a lot of the time this list just forces me to sit through 60s garbage rather than expand my mind, so it's cool to hear something that's not only mostly new to me, but that I'd also willingly listen to independently. 4/5.
La critique que je m'apprête à rédiger ne sera pas tout à fait pertinente dans le sens où j'ai été confronté à un problème dont j'assume la responsabilité. En effet, je ne me suis rendu compte qu'au milieu de l'écoute que la lecture de cet album se faisait en mode aléatoire. J'étais dès lors totalement perdu. Vous savez pertinemment que je me dois d'activer cette option la plupart du temps pour m'entraîner à l'événement que nous attendons tous et qui se tiendra selon les dernières infos début 2024 ; je veux bien entendu parler du Grand Quiz du Générateur sur TF1 qui m'opposera bien sûr à ltrapeze. Je vous tiendrai informé sur le déroulement de l'émission dès que j'aurai du nouveau.
What a fun album! Kind of borderline "Gangstagrass" on the first track. Mixing hip hop with numerous styles, this album is just silly, while also being cool.
Just a ton of fun, honestly really enjoyed this album. It trails off a bit on the back end, but still a strong album. Can't really identify a genre, which made it even more enjoyable Saved: The Fun Lovin' Criminal, The Grave And The Constant, Scooby Snacks, Bombin' The L*
Surprisingly not that bad, album was all over the place with lots of different genres mixed into Hip hop
There are some bops on here but some of it is a bit same-y. It's aight.
weird album not really sure if i like it or not but still not objectively terrible
As the name suggests, just a fun album. Best track: The Fun Lovin' Criminal
I was really into the album at first and then it started to all blend together. It's a unique sound for sure but probably won't listen again
I'm not sure I can really appreciate this kind of stuff on the level it's supposed to be appreciated, but relative to a lot of the other hip hop this list has given me, I liked this one a lot. Thinking thematically about this + "Three Feet High and Rising" + "People's Travels..." vs. "Fear of a Black Planet" + NWA, I seem to like stuff that emphasizes the instruments over the rappers. This CD has, in relative terms, great instrumentals. It starts kind of slow - the first song is a bit of an intro, and didn't immediately grab me - it's fun, but one of the more rap-driven tracks. But each of "Passive/Aggressive", "Scooby Snacks" and "Bombin' the L" I liked immediately, and a few of the slower, funkier tracks were really nice too. They generally keep everything pretty upbeat, do a good job of featuring a few different instrumental moods, and seem to not take themselves super-seriously. I would play this again.
Faux gangsters - not awful but it's baffling to me how this album and group became successful. The harder grittier songs are better than the softer tracks but they are also more cringey. This is seen in all its glory on the best track: King of New York which utters the refrain "free John Gotti". Some decent tracks but zero realism which leaves me feeling empty.
An interesting mash-up of different genres but I didn't really care for it. It's been about a week since I listened to it so details are sparse but I think it was kind of uneven for me and I kind of struggled to finish it. There were some fun tracks I think but it didn't always work or come together for me. Also, not very interesting lyrically.
This is a strange one because while I don't think it is necessarily a bad album, I am not sure of how it received enough of a reputation to appear on this list. I had never heard of this rap/rock group before so I was surprised to see that their song "Scooby Snacks" had 22 million streams on Spotify; however, I was even more surprised when I heard it and realized none of it sounded familiar. Even the Wikipedia page for this album is nearly non-existent with no facts or notes on the recording or its significance (something that has been very prevalent for every other album I have received so far). Given all of this, this album just doesn't feel overly innovative or high quality for the time which makes things even stranger. By the end, it all just started to unfortunately blend together. It was cool to hear rap with real instruments (RHCP, A Tribe Called Quest, and Sublime are the first bands that come to mind when I hear this), but this just wasn't as fun as it should be due to its execution. I ultimately didn't think the rapping or the instrumentals were special enough to make this one I want to come back to. Not much to say outside of that. 2/5. NOTE: As a big James Bond fan, I did appreciate the cover of one of the best tracks from the movie franchise, "We Have All the Time in the World"; however, it didn't really try to be unique and definitely paled in comparison to the original Louis Armstrong version.
Very cool. Great fusion of hiphop, blues and rock. The lead singles still sound awesome but some of the other tracks let it down a little, the chorus’s get a bit formulaic.
I had never heard of these guys before. This music made me move! I really liked this disc. I listened to the Expanded Version, which has many versions of several of their songs. It's a great showing of their creativity and command of different styles of music and recording.
This sure didn’t look like it was gonna be my jam, but it sure is great! I love these guys! Lots of serious themes - some moving songs - but they seem to be having fun (as advertised). Great rhymes. I love the slow jams as much as the fast and fun songs. And remaking “We Have All The Time in the World”?! Very classy. Some great guitar work that really added to it all. Really great album!
Never heard of 'em before but this was a fun groove with many surprises.
I liked the look of the cover and 90s hip-hop/rap is up my alley. It was a treat!
well this was well more massive than i remember it being. My memories of it at the time are scooby snacks being flogged so hard it was unlistenable and it generally being pseudo cool nonsense. don't really know if any of that has changed but i read how they came to fame by filling in for acts that didn't turn up in a club they worked in. could be a nice cover story but it makes it sound a bit more of a piss about, which fits the music better than some uber cool new york hipster taking themselves far too seriously trying to be cool. gonna go big on this.
FLC gigs are the best. Usually small and intimate, Huey is a great host. Loved this since I heard the first single. Aged well. Perfect blend of chill and aggression. Still loving it today. Easy 5 stars.
Really really dope mix of smooth Rap / Rock and R&b tracks. Album art is accurate, great for cruisin'. Standout Tracks: Smoke Em', We Have All the Time in the World, Come Find Yourself, Crime and Punishment, Methadonia
Thankyou for finally giving me a rap album! My god. It’s okay too! I didn’t finish it so I’ll try and get it all done tomorrow but yeah, happy with this. Not 5/5, reaching into a 4 mayyyybe but I’ll see
I generally enjoyed this album. I found them to have personality and a cool sound in an area of rock/hip hop mix that I don’t tend to often like.
Escuché este disco y el siguiente de este grupo casi sin descanso en los 90 y luego me olvidé de ellos. Lo siento, sigue sonando bien y tiene temazos como The Fun Lovin' Criminal, Scooby Snacks, King of New York o Bear Hug.
Ik kende alleen de 2 hitjes, maar de rest van deze plaat bevalt me ook prima.
Vette plaat! Flow van Huey vind ik echt cool en Scooby Snacks is terecht een hit geweest.
Surprisingly, I like this album. Musically it's diverse, well performed. Not all rap, some melody, lots of variety. I listened to it twice. Well done!
And they say it's better than crack, plus It keeps them mellow and passive... I guess... Methadonia
Chill raps, helemaal niet verkeerd. gwn goeie man. niks op aan te merken voor de rest.
I enjoyed this album. For me the music hit the right chords, the raps though mostly lightweight are fun and sometimes quite humorous. But it's the music that pulled me in and made for an enjoyable listening experience. 3.75 🌟
Kinda like a mix of ska and rap? Reminded me a little of like Atmosphere or 311? Enjoyed it.
Love the flows, love the instrument diversity. Based on the name, I was expecting some 80s new wave and was pleasantly surprised. Lot of sticky hooks on this record. Little long. Favorite tracks: "Scooby Snacks" ,"Crime and Punishment"
Love the eclectic mash-up of styles on this album. I'm hearing hip hop, rock, rap, jazz, R&B, blues, funk, and even a bit of punk. Had not heard of these guys or their music before. Glad I have now!
Scooby Snacks is a banger, the rest was fine, but I love that track so I'm giving a 4 anyway lol
Perfect name for this group. I had heard several of these songs but forgotten all about them. I have nothing bad to say about this album, really. It's a fun combination of a lot of my favorite kinds of music.
Cool hip-hop rock fusion sounds. Scooby Snacks is a great single. We Have All The Time In The World is a really refreshing mid album break.
Really enjoyed this. Wide range of styles, great for driving. Nothing skipped. Added.
7/10. Had this on in the background, but seemed pretty good based on that, and I liked how it mixed genres.
Pretty good! At some points, really great. I loved "Scooby Snacks" and "Passive/Aggressive". Overall, it was just a bit too long though. A couple songs could have been cut, and some songs went on too long. Still pretty good though, definitely glad I heard it.
Entertaining set from a band that borrows vibe from (and extends considerably) the music of G. Love and Special Sauce, pushing the grooves deeper into rap and hard rock. A little uneven, but never drifts too low. The stark, exemplary single Scoobie Snacks is the brightest star here, but the firmament shines from others, too. A solid listen that encourages me to research the band further.
Way better than I thought it was going to be. I was very surprised to see this one pop up as I never gave a 2nd thought to this band past Scooby Snacks. But this was a pretty diverse sounding record with lots of smooth grooves and jazz inflections.
Is this a classic album? Probably not. Is it a touch derivative and trying a little too hard? Probably. Does it feel a little unvarnished and stoned? Yes. Did I play this album on heavy rotation and nod my head along in the car in my early twenties? I most certainly did! Nostalgia gets the rating. It’s a little fun rock rap blues funk New York thing - don’t think too hard, just enjoy it.
It turns out I have heard more of their songs than I thought. I liked the album a ton.
a little cringy in places, can see this as the precursor to nu metal which is a huge drawback. Ha a real fake swagger to it using Tarantino samples etc. But overall it's just fun music with a couple of real stand outs.
Super fun record and interesting blending of genres. A little on the silly side at times, but I enjoyed it.
When I saw "Hip-Hop/Rap" as the genre of this album on Apple Music, I wasn't expecting that my previous experience with this group would be from my 1997 Lounge-A-Palooza compilation CD, on which they sang 10cc's "I'm Not in Love." But not knowing that until after I listened, I found myself joyfully surprised through most of this album that they did seem to be serious about the "fun lovin'" part. Interesting instrumentations (I love a rap with an easy-listening background), clever tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and a pretty straightforward rendition of a James Bond movie theme. I really enjoyed this and I will be listening to their compilation Mimosa shortly.
Huey's languid rap-singing is quite seductive. The hip hop drums and rock, funk, soul guitar hits my eclectic taste buds. About 5 very enjoyable tracks and the rest are fine and listenable. Good grooves. I've a lot of time for Huey after his excellent Saturday BBC 6music program.
All of their songs in that album was so exciting, mellow, and romantic. 古さを感じさせない、洒落た音色とノリ。メロウな感じも、ポップな感じも、色々感じられた。多面的な楽しみ方ができる 音楽だと思う。
This was a fun listen. Strangely, the guy rapped about joining the Marines vs going to jail and that's definitely a thing from when this came out.
One to play loud! Tunes galore. They never really bettered this, but what a debut.
I have a massive soft spot for this album. In 96, it got me into hip hop. Then I went off it because it wasn't great hip hop. Then I loved it again as my tastes broadened and I loved it's mix of hip hop, funk, lounge and rock. It's just such grand, silly fun.
Very fun combination of hip hop, humor, and rock guitars. Less music samples than is typical of the genre. Has a definite Cypress Hill/Sublime/mid 90s vibe to it. Will give this album another spin in the future for sure.
Aggressively Noo Yawk, in the same way Ohio transplants on social media get when talking about a chopped cheese from their local bodega. But the FLC was the first gig I went to without my parents, and as such I have a soft spot a mile wide for these guys. A friend and I wore leather jackets and essentially slow-cooked ourselves. And the music on 'Come Find Yourself'? Surprisingly good! A genuine relic of the 1990s, it manages the quite unique feat of sounding dumb and classy at the same time. At one point the boys even anchor a track with an ersatz 'Smoke on the Water' riff. Mainly it sounds like lounge-lizard soul played by petty hoodlums. I can get with that.
Better than expected, bit surprised to see it hear tbh, but was a fun if slightly silly ride.
I enjoyed the album. It was mostly soothing and chill, even when it picked up.
Definitely angling to be 90s Beastie Boys, but still pretty enjoyable overall.
Starts out strong, with an instrumental that made me expect more of a country-rap crossover (in 1996!? Lil Nas X eat your heart out). But the rest is some attractive East Coast hip-hop with rather guitar-centric beats. Fun to be sure, and I imagine a show with live instruments would be great, but not exceptional.
Tykkäsin paljon. Hauska levy, sopi kuunteluhetkeenkin hyvin. Scooby Snacks jäi erityisesti mieleen Tarantino-referensseineen.
Ihan lepposaa menoa ja oli helppo kunnella. Ei kuitenkaan toivoa pääsystä omille soittolistoille.